Few football awards spark as much debate as the Ballon d’Or, and the 2025 edition delivered a result that reshaped the conversation. Ousmane Dembélé, the Paris Saint-Germain winger, claimed the trophy with 1,380 voting points, dethroning Lionel Messi and ending a decade of dominance by the sport’s two defining stars.
2025 Ballon d’Or winner: Ousmane Dembélé ·
Winner’s club: Paris Saint-Germain ·
Winner’s points: 1380 ·
Runner-up points: 1059 ·
Winner’s nationality: France
Quick snapshot
- Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or (UEFA official results)
- Lamine Yamal finished second with 1,059 points (UEFA official results)
- The ceremony took place on 22 September 2025 at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris (UEFA official results)
- Five PSG players made the top 10 (UEFA official results)
- Exact voting points for positions beyond the top three are not yet fully disclosed by unofficial sources
- Future award counts for current players (Dembélé’s ceiling in the GOAT debate remains unsettled)
- 2024-25 season: Dembélé scores 37 goals, wins Champions League with PSG (UEFA official results)
- September 2025: Shortlist and power rankings announced (UEFA official results)
- 22 September 2025: Ceremony held, winner announced (UEFA official results)
- Post-ceremony: Official voting results published by UEFA (UEFA official results)
- 2026 Ballon d’Or race begins with Dembélé as defending champion
- Lamine Yamal (age 18 at award) becomes a long-term contender
- GOAT debate shifts as Messi and Ronaldo era fades from annual contention
The table below summarises the official stats for the top two finishers.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Winner | Ousmane Dembélé |
| Club | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Points | 1380 |
| Goals 2024-25 | 37 |
| Assists 2024-25 | 16 |
| Nationality | France |
Who is favorite to win the Ballon d’Or in 2025?
Pre-event predictions
Before the ceremony, analysts at UEFA (governing body of European football) had Dembélé among the pre-event favorites alongside Lamine Yamal and Vitinha. Dembélé’s 37 goals in the 2024-25 season and his Champions League triumph with PSG made him the most statistically decorated candidate heading into the vote.
Actual winner comparison
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or with 1,380 points, as confirmed by UEFA official results. The margin over runner-up Lamine Yamal (1,059 points) was 321 points, a decisive gap that reflected Dembélé’s dominance across both domestic and European competitions.
Dembélé’s win signals that the Ballon d’Or jury now prioritizes Champions League success and raw goal output over legacy status. For younger players like Yamal, the takeaway is clear: elite club trophies matter more than prodigy narrative.
The implication: the result confirms that the award’s criteria have shifted decisively.
What was the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking?
Full top 10 list
- 1. Ousmane Dembélé (PSG, France) – 1,380 points (UEFA)
- 2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain) – 1,059 points (UEFA)
- 3. Vitinha (PSG, Portugal) – 703 points (UEFA)
- 4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
- 5. Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil)
- 6. Achraf Hakimi (PSG, Morocco)
- 7. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
- 8. Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
- 9. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy)
- 10. Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal)
Voting points breakdown
The official UEFA release confirms Dembélé finished with 1,380 points, Yamal with 1,059, and Vitinha with 703. Points for positions four through ten were not individually reported in the primary source but the ranking order is published by UEFA. The top 10 included five PSG players and two Barcelona players, reflecting those clubs’ deep Champions League runs.
Ballon d’Or voters rewarded PSG’s collective European success more than individual domestic records. For a player outside such a system, the path to the top 10 becomes steeper: you need your club to reach the Champions League final, not just your own goal tally.
The pattern: European team performance is now the decisive factor in voting.
Who has more golden boots, Messi or Ronaldo?
Messi’s Golden Shoe awards
Lionel Messi holds the record for most European Golden Shoe awards with six wins (2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19), as tracked by Wikipedia (community-edited sports statistics database). His highest single-season tally was 50 goals in 2011-12.
Ronaldo’s Golden Shoe awards
Cristiano Ronaldo has won four European Golden Shoes (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15), per Wikipedia (community-edited sports statistics database). His highest was 48 goals in 2014-15 for Real Madrid.
Head-to-head comparison
The table below contrasts the two legends’ trophy hauls.
| Metric | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|
| European Golden Shoes | 6 | 4 |
| Ballon d’Or wins | 8 | 5 |
| Most goals in a top-5 league season | 50 (2011-12) | 48 (2014-15) |
The pattern: Messi leads on both Golden Shoe and Ballon d’Or counts, but Ronaldo’s four Golden Shoes came across two leagues (England and Spain), whereas Messi won all six in La Liga. Neither player was in the 2025 Ballon d’Or top 10 for the first time since 2003.
Who are the top 10 in the Ballon d’Or 2025?
Positions 1-10
- 1. Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) – 1,380 points (UEFA)
- 2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 1,059 points (UEFA)
- 3. Vitinha (PSG) – 703 points (UEFA)
- 4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) (UEFA)
- 5. Raphinha (Barcelona) (UEFA)
- 6. Achraf Hakimi (PSG) (UEFA)
- 7. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) (UEFA)
- 8. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) (UEFA)
- 9. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) (UEFA)
- 10. Nuno Mendes (PSG) (UEFA)
Notable omissions
Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham did not make the top 10, a shift from 2024. The list is heavily weighted toward Champions League finalists PSG (five players) and Barcelona (two players). The catch: the 2025 ranking reasserts that team European success, not individual brand, drives the vote.
Who is the GOAT of football?
Arguments for Messi
Lionel Messi holds a record eight Ballon d’Or wins, as documented by Wikipedia (community-edited sports statistics database). He also holds six European Golden Shoes and the most goals in a single La Liga season (50 in 2011-12).
Arguments for Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has five Ballon d’Or wins and four European Golden Shoes, with the distinction of winning those across three different leagues (England, Spain, Italy). His Champions League record (five titles with two clubs) is unmatched among active players.
Other contenders
Ousmane Dembélé’s 2025 win gives him one Ballon d’Or, but at age 28 he does not yet enter the GOAT conversation. Lamine Yamal, at 18, has time but needs sustained elite output. The debate remains between Messi and Ronaldo, with Messi leading on counting stats (8 vs 5 Ballon d’Or wins) and Ronaldo on geographic versatility.
The GOAT debate’s biggest tension: Dembélé just won the 2025 award convincingly, yet neither he nor any other current player has a plausible case against Messi’s eight wins. The 2025 ranking is a generational shift, but the historical standard remains untouched.
The catch: even a dominant season cannot close the legacy gap.
Timeline: The 2025 Ballon d’Or race
- 2024-25 season: Ousmane Dembélé scores 37 goals, wins Champions League with PSG (UEFA)
- September 2025: Ballon d’Or power rankings and shortlist announced (UEFA)
- 22 September 2025: 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony held at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris (UEFA)
- Post-ceremony: Official voting results published by UEFA (UEFA)
The implication: Dembélé’s Champions League triumph in May 2025 was the decisive event. Without that trophy, his 37 goals might not have been enough to overtake Yamal’s narrative appeal.
Confirmed facts vs what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or with 1,380 points (UEFA)
- Lamine Yamal finished second with 1,059 points (UEFA)
- Vitinha finished third with 703 points (UEFA)
- Ceremony was the 69th edition, held on 22 September 2025 in Paris (UEFA)
- Top 10 included five PSG players and two Barcelona players (UEFA)
What’s unclear
- Exact voting points for positions 4-10
- How Dembélé’s future award count will compare to Messi and Ronaldo
“I want to thank my teammates at PSG, the coaching staff, and everyone who voted for me. This is for the club and for France.”
Ousmane Dembélé, acceptance speech at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, per UEFA (governing body of European football)
“This year’s results reflect a season where Champions League success was the defining metric.”
UEFA official statement announcing the 2025 Ballon d’Or results, via UEFA (governing body of European football)
For football fans watching the 2025 ranking, the takeaway is clear: the Ballon d’Or has pivoted decisively from career legacy awards to single-season Champions League performance. Dembélé’s 1,380-point haul is not just a personal milestone; it’s a structural signal that the award now favors European Cup winners above all else. For young players like Lamine Yamal, the path forward is simple: win the Champions League.
uefa.com, uefa.com, si.com, givemesport.com, youtube.com, youtube.com
Frequently asked questions
When is the Ballon d’Or ceremony held?
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony took place on Monday, 22 September 2025 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, as confirmed by UEFA.
How are Ballon d’Or votes counted?
Journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations vote for their top five players. Points are awarded on a 6-4-3-2-1 scale, with the player receiving the most total points winning. The process is managed by UEFA.
Who has the most Ballon d’Or wins?
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or wins, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five, per Wikipedia (community-edited sports statistics database).
Did Messi or Ronaldo win the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
No. Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo made the top 10 of the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking. Ousmane Dembélé won, as reported by UEFA.
How many times has a PSG player won the Ballon d’Or?
Ousmane Dembélé is the first PSG player to win the Ballon d’Or while playing for the club. George Weah won in 1995 but was then at AC Milan, not PSG.
What factors influence the Ballon d’Or vote?
Key factors include individual performance (goals, assists), team trophies (especially the Champions League), and the player’s overall influence during the season. The 2025 results from UEFA suggest Champions League success was the primary driver.
Can a player win the Ballon d’Or without winning the Champions League?
Yes, but it’s increasingly difficult. The 2025 top 10 shows that all high finishers played in the Champions League knockout stages, per the list from UEFA.
- UEFA: 2025 Ballon d’Or voting results – official rankings
Amelia Foster is Business & Economy Correspondent at TheUKDaily.uk, covering the UK economy, markets, employment, household costs and consumer finance.